I'm Ayo Owolabi: a software builder, writer and consultant based in Newcastle upon Tyne who makes products that solve real, unglamorous problems, and helps founders and operators do the same.
If you've found this page because you searched my name, you're probably trying to figure out whether I'm worth your time. That's a fair question. Here's the honest answer: I build and ship software, I write about what I actually learn doing that, and through BedrockTeam I help other people's businesses move faster with modern tooling and AI. I'm not a thought leader who talks about building. I'm someone who builds, then writes about it.
What I Actually Do
The cleanest way to describe it: I sit at the intersection of product thinking, software engineering and the practical application of AI. That sounds abstract, so here's what it looks like in practice. I identify problems that are either underserved or being handled with too much friction, then I build software to address them. Some of those products are mine. Some are built for clients through BedrockTeam, my consultancy.
Products I've shipped include Scarab HQ, Minipod, Legworker and IntentLift, among others. Each one started from a real operational frustration, not a whiteboard exercise. That discipline, starting from the problem rather than the technology, is the thing I care most about keeping consistent.
BedrockTeam: The Consultancy
BedrockTeam is the consultancy arm of what I do. It's for companies that need hands-on product and engineering help: not an agency to hand a brief to, but a thinking and building partner who can sit close to the problem. The clients who get the most from it tend to be lean teams that are covering a lot of surface area themselves and need someone who can move quickly, make good technical decisions, and ship real things.
A lot of businesses right now are trying to figure out where AI genuinely fits into their workflow and where it's just noise. That's a significant part of what I help with through BedrockTeam: not selling AI as a transformation story, but helping teams identify the specific, concrete places where modern tooling reduces friction, and then actually building those things.
If you're evaluating BedrockTeam for a project, the best starting point is a direct conversation. There's no long intake form. If the work sounds like a fit, we'll know quickly.
How I Think About Building with AI
The AI content environment in 2026 is almost entirely composed of two things: hype from people who don't build, and anxiety from people who do. Neither is particularly useful. My position is more boring and more practical: AI is a set of tools with specific strengths, real limitations, and a cost structure worth understanding properly. Some of those tools belong in almost every serious software workflow right now. Some are genuinely not ready. Knowing the difference is a skill, and it comes from using them in production, not from reading about them.
When I write about AI on ayoo.dev, I write from that posture. You won't find breathless predictions here. You'll find close observations from someone who's integrated these tools into real products and can tell you what actually happened, what held up, and what didn't.
The Writing on ayoo.dev
This site is where I think out loud. The audience I write for is founders, operators, and technical people who are tired of surface-level takes. The content tends to fall into a few modes: explainers that try to make a concept genuinely click rather than just introduce it, teardowns of how something actually works under the hood, and opinionated takes where I lead with a position and defend it. I write to be useful first and persuasive second.
The running theme across almost everything I write is the gap between how technology is described and how it actually behaves when you're trying to do something with it. That gap is where most of the interesting questions live, and where most generic AI content fails to go.
Speaking and Events
I speak at events on building with AI and modern software tooling, with a strong focus on what's actually practical for lean teams and founders rather than what's theoretically possible. The talks I give tend to be concrete, sometimes contrarian, and always grounded in what I've personally shipped and observed. If you're programming an event and want a speaker who goes past the standard AI briefing, I'm happy to have a conversation about what might work.
Why Newcastle
I'm based in Newcastle upon Tyne, which is an increasingly credible place to be building software businesses. The North East tech community is active and under-discussed relative to its quality. That said, the work I do through BedrockTeam and the products I ship aren't geographically limited. Clients and readers come from across the UK and beyond. Being based in Newcastle is a fact about where I live and work well, not a constraint on who I work with.
What Makes This Worth Your Attention
The honest pitch for following this site or working with me is simple. There are very few people writing seriously about building with AI who are also actively shipping products with it. The ones who are tend not to write much, because they're busy building. I'm trying to do both, and the constraint that imposes keeps the writing honest. If you came here looking for someone who knows what they're talking about and will tell you the truth about it, that's what I'm aiming to be.
The fastest way to get a sense of how I think is to read a few pieces on the site. If the posture and depth feel right for what you need, a conversation from there is straightforward.
Who is Ayo Owolabi?
Ayo Owolabi is a software builder, writer and consultant based in Newcastle upon Tyne. He ships his own products, including Scarab HQ, Minipod, Legworker and IntentLift, and runs BedrockTeam, a consultancy that helps founders and operators build with modern tooling and AI.
What is BedrockTeam?
BedrockTeam is Ayo's consultancy. It provides hands-on product and engineering help to lean businesses, with a particular focus on identifying where AI and modern tooling can genuinely reduce friction, then building those solutions. It works best as a close thinking and building partner rather than a traditional agency.
Is Ayo Owolabi available for speaking engagements?
Yes. Ayo speaks at events on building with AI and modern software, particularly for founders and lean teams. His talks are practical and grounded in what he's personally shipped. Event programmers can reach out directly to discuss what might work for their audience.
Where is Ayo Owolabi based?
Ayo is based in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England. His consultancy work and the audience for his writing are not limited by geography: he works with clients and readers across the UK and internationally.
What does Ayo Owolabi write about on ayoo.dev?
The writing on ayoo.dev covers building software products, working with AI tools in practice, and the decisions founders and operators face when running lean, technology-driven businesses. The posture is practitioner-first: observations and opinions from someone actively shipping products, not summarising trends from the outside.